May102012

Whenever I’ve heard people reflect about their international medical experiences (especially among my colleagues who have worked here in Guyana), there tends to be a few common themes that emerge. There are statements about the gratitude of the local population, and their resilience in the face of adversity in nearly every aspect of their lives. They discuss the lack of resources available; how the hospitals/clinics can lack the most basic of amenities (gloves, bandages, water), or how few and far between medical practitioners are located. Universally, people say the experiences have changed them at their core; they now have a greater appreciation for the resources/opportunities available back in the US, and will continue to work to improve the plight of those less fortunate.

Looking back upon my experiences here in Guyana, my colleagues could not have been more right. Despite significant influence from first world nations, life in Guyana is hard and often unforgiving. Conditions that seem routine back home can often prove fatal down here, and both the medical providers and patients are well aware of this fact. This doesn’t stop either of them, however, from fighting as hard as they can, and utilizing their resources as fully as possible. I feel blessed to have had many opportunities to help care for patients here, and the experience has without question pushed me to higher places as both a physician and a person.

Above all else, my time here in Guyana has left me motivated to come back and do more. The potential that exists amongst the medical community, especially in Emergency Medicine, is quite palpable, and there seems to be a feeling that the tipping point can soon be reached. Once that happens, it could ripple through the rest of Guyanese society and hopefully produce successes and advancements that might have once seemed impossible. Of course, it’s not a guarantee, and many obstacles need to be dealt with. However, there is genuine hope, and that’s often the most important first step.